Paper smoothing tool



Jan. 24, 1950 w. QRT

PAPER SMOOTHING TOOL Filed Nov. 1, 1948 I INVENTOR. 'VIZZY/jam 022/ HIS new Patented Jan. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAPER SMOOTHING TOOL William Ort', Wichita Falls, Tex.

Application November 1, 1948, Serial No. 57,672

6 Claims.-

This invention relates to paper smoothing tools and more particularly to a hand tool for smoothing tape, lining paper or wall paper in corners for pressing the paper neatly into place so as to form neat, sharply turned corners.

Tools for smoothing wall paper, tape or the like have been proposed heretofore, but these have not been generally accepted by the trade because they could not be used without laying them down to pick up other tools, they were cumbersome, and not entirely efiective in use.

The present tool can be worn on the hand all during the papering process; on the back of the hand when not in use, and then quickly thrust forward into operating position when needed, and with no interruption of work for laying down and picking up tools. It can quickly be brought into position when desired to smooth paper, tape or the like into a corner so as to form a neat, rightangle corner, whether at the corner of a room, or at the juncture of wall and ceiling or wall and a molding.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a hand tool for smoothing paper or tape as it is being applied, to form neat, right angle corners.

Another object of the invention is to provide a smoothing tool that can be worn on the hand while using other tools, and that is always accessible without interfering with the use of the other tools.

Another object of this invention is to provide a papering tool that can be easily and inexpensively made and which will be effective in use.

ing position on the hand; with the hand shown in dot-dash outline;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the tool; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the underside of the tool.

With more detailed reference to the drawing, the numeral l designates the tool generally, the body of which is adapted to be formed from a single piece of sheet metal. The piece of metal 2 is folded along a line so as to form an approximately right angle corner 3, for a distance of slightly more than half its length. The corner 3 coincides with a cut away portion which forms a slit 4, which when formed into the finished tool, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, gives resilience and makes possible adjustment to the work and to the hand of the worker.

After the tool is formed, with the corner 3 being approximately a right angle, the slit 4 is of sufiicient width to admit of the sides 5 being moved inward or outward so that the corner 3 will define more or less than a right angle, as required.

The metal 2 is out so as to form an outwardly extending angular tail portion terminating in a point 6 at one end of the fold, and the cut away portion of the slit 4 is cut away to form a rounded nose portion 1 in the opposite end of the tool. The sides 5 extend downwardly and curve inward to form oppositely disposed finger loops 8, which makes it possible for the tool to be placed on the first and third fingers of the workmans hand so it may be held in the position as indicated in Fig. 1.

The sides 5 each have a re-entrant portion 9 formed into a groove In, each of which grooves is adapted to receive and bindingly engage a resilient member I I, such as a squeegee member. The inner ends of the resilient squeegee members H are 'angularly cut, as indicated at I2, so that when the tool is pressed into a corner, the squeegee members will exert a smoothing or flattenin action on the paper or tape by assuming the position as indicated in dot-dash outline in Fig. 1.

The tool is preferably made of metal or plastic that has sufficient flexibility to make possible the movement of the finger loops 8 inward or outward so as to vary the angular divergence of the sides 5 so the tool may be used to apply paper or tape into a corner that may be greater than or less than a right angle. This flexibility enables the tool to be used on all corners, whereas, with tools in general use heretofore, they could be used only to form true right angles, otherwise the tool would not properly smooth the paper into the corner.

In the operation of the device the paper or tape may be laid into the corner, and when evenly positioned, the tool can be rocked so the rounded nose portion will urge the paper inward against the base to which it is to be adhered without cutting or wrinkling, and then, by rocking the tool slightly, the angular corner, as indicated at 3, will smooth the tape or paper into the corner, while the squeegee I I will flatten the paper or tape from the corner outward to smooth it out onto the surface to which it is being applied, without wrinkling, and the paper, under the tension of the resilient squeegee, will be pressed closely against the surface so that it will adhere closely and evenly. The sharp outwardly extending point 6 of the angular protruding tail portion enables the tool to be used in the corner of the room so the hand H does not interfere with the proper positioning of the tool.

By positioning the tool on the hand H, as shown in Fig. 1, and with the loops 8, which are of a width slightly less than the finger joint, the loops are inserted over the proper fingers, and the tool held in position for use, or rocked back out of the Way on the back of the'hand whenmot-in use,'and therefore it will not interfere with "the use of other tools, and will always be available for use when needed. By wearing the tool during the papering process, it enables the worlnnan to work much faster, and obviates loss of time that would otherwise be spent in changing from *one todl to another.

While the tool has been described in some detail, as used in applying lining paper, tape and the like, it is to be understood that it is applicable to applying paper to :other i. surfaces, such as *boxes, chests, cases and the like, "which are surfaced with a zcoating of QPEZDBI, and ithe applicant :does not wish 'to limit himself zto'zany :particular .use -of the tool, except .aswspecified in ithe appended claims.

Having thus describedithe invention, I claim:

-1. In :an apparatus .for smoothing .z'paper .a body, comprising a gpair "of plane surface members, which plane surface members "converge at an :angle on a .medial line, said plane -.-surface members being rounded :to .form -.anose portion at. one end of saidmedialdine, :andthe opposite end of said :medial :line protruding into :a ?tail portion, said protruding tail portion being formed from a part :of said plane surfaces on either side of said medial line, gripping means formed on a :side :of said apparatus, :resilient means forming -.a side of reach ,planetsurface for smoothingpaper.

'2. Ina paper rsmoothing tool abody-comprismg a pair ,of :body members converging .at-an angle on a medial line, acut-away mortiomco-extensive with-saidimedialline-so said body members may be formed into a rounded rnose mortion, .a ,pro-,.

at one end so as to form a rounded'n'ose portion, vl3

at theopposite .end of said mediallinesaid, plane surfaces'being cut-away tofiform an ..angular,.prtruding tail portion, said medial line being adapted to lfitlpaper smoothly i'ritoia fcorner, said body .menibers being curvediiownwardly and in, 1

wardly to form loops to receive the fingers of the operator for operating the tool, resilient members attached to said body surfaces on either side of said tail portion in position to smooth paper to the surface immediately adjacent the corner.

4. In an apparatus for smoothing paper a body comprising a pair of plane surface members converging at an angle to form a medial line, said plane surface members being rounded on either sidepf said medial line at oneiend thereof to form a rounded nose portion, said plane surface members being cut-away from the opposite end of said medial line to form a protruding tail medial line to give a sharp corner to be pressed into-a room corner to fit the paper snugly thereinto, .said plane surface members extending downwardly and inwardly to form loops to receive athe'fingers for operating the tool, grooves formed in said plane surface members between .said tail portion and said finger .loops, said grooves being adapted to, receive resilient .mem- "bers therein, which resilient ;members act as smoothing members on the paper immediately adjacent the corner.

r5. -.An article of :manufacture comprising a :shaped sheet "of metal folded along a medial .line to :define an angle :having plane surfaces angularly disposed on either side thereof, portions .of said sheet metal surfaces extending downwardly and "inwardly .to form loops, an end of said sheet metal being slitted along a portion of said-medial line-and theends of themetal beain-gdurned inwardly .to define a rounded rnose "portion, at the opposite end -,of said .medial .line said sheet :metal :being cut-away to form an angular protruding .tail portion, extending along said sheet .metal .-from the angle formed. by ;the tail portion a re-entrant portion formed in the metal 7 in the. form -,of .a groove, which grooves are adapted to bindingly receive ,zresilient members to form smoothing wing members on either side of .said tail portion, :an end v.of 'each wing being shaped to conform :to the angle of the tail portion.

6. A paper smoothing tool having sides angularly .disposed with respect to each other .and joined along a .medial .line, -a round .end portion on-one endlofisaidtool,oppositely.disposedifinger loops forholding said tool, said ,finger loops extending from said sides.

WILLIAMORT.

REFERENCES "CIT-ED The :following iref'erences are of iI'BCOIId. :in the file .of dchis :patent:

UNITED STATES :PATENTS Number Name Date 998,750 Clapp July 25, '1911 1,637,450 Martin Aug. 2, 1927 2,339,235 Allen 'Jan. 18*, 1'944 2,366,674 Petty Jan. 2,-194'5 23665675 Petty 'Jan. 2, I945 

